Return of lads mag Loaded mocked as ‘inspiring mid-life crisis’ across UK

 (Loaded)
(Loaded)

The return of classic lads magazine Loaded has been branded as “absolute trash” and “inspiring mid-life crisis’ across the country”.

The once-popular magazine will be returning after a nine-year hiatus with its new editor marketing it as an opportunity for men to “ogle beautiful women” once more.

Danni Levy, the executive editor of Loaded World, said the rebrand comes at a time when “the world has gone PC mad” and is aimed at the original Loaded audience who are “now living happily at home with their wife and kids”.

Elizabeth Hurley is set to grace the first front cover of the rebooted magazine, while The Times reported that the likes of Katie Price are in talks to take part in racy photoshoots.

While Ms Levy feels the magazine is liberating, critics have slammed the rebrand as “trash”.

A party to celebrate ‘Loaded’ magazine’s ‘summer nude’ edition in 2004 (Getty)
A party to celebrate ‘Loaded’ magazine’s ‘summer nude’ edition in 2004 (Getty)

On X/Twitter, Rebecca Reid said: “Bringing back Loaded: great idea. Bringing back Loaded like this: absolutely trash.”

Another person said the magazine was objectifying women by telling them it’s okay to ogle women and asked: “How about instead a magazine that teaches parents to raise their boys to respect women?”

Ms Levy said the magazine’s goal is to bring back “ogling” for 35 to 55-year-old men who are being “cheated out of society”.

“Men need to be men and there should be no shame in them being able to ogle beautiful women like Liz Hurley, Melinda Messenger or Pamela Anderson,” she told The Times

“We are targeting the original Loaded audience who are now living happily at home with their wife and kids but still reminisce about their nights spent clubbing until 3am, drinking £1 shots, with a bedroom covered in posters of half-naked women,

“Nowadays we have all been subjected to a severe safety net which is actually really boring. The world has gone PC mad but nothing seems to be politically correct.”

Ms Levy’s comments have been a point of discussion online and across broadcast.

Journalist Isla Traquair said the rebrand was “inspiring a mid-life crisis across the country,” on ITV’s This Morning.

“This is not about shaming women for showing off their body but it’s about context. We live in a world where we are struggling as women not to be objectified,” she said.

“There’s just a little bit of a tone here about let’s reminisce for when we could go ahh and I don’t think we want to go back to the page three days.”

The magazine relaunched earlier in May and will be online-only.